EEO Training Courses

The realm of Equal Employment Opportunity is as vast and diverse as the people it represents. FELTG offers onsite programs to train EEO attorneys, practitioners and supervisors on the strategies, principles, and authorities relative to federal sector discrimination law. These courses can be modified to meet the legal requirements of executive and legislative branch agencies.

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EEO-1: Fundamentals of Federal EEO: Nuts & Bolts (1 day)

If you haven’t played a role in any part of the federal EEO process, it likely seems a mystery. This one-day class spells out everything you need to know to have a fundamental understanding of federal EEO. We’ll guide you through each step of the process, from pre-complaint counseling to formal complaints to EEOC Hearings, and you’ll leave class with a thorough understanding of the various types of workplace discrimination.

Course Topics: Statutory authority and jurisdiction of EEOC; theories of discrimination; overview of the EEO process; amended and consolidated complaints; timeliness issues.

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EEO-2: Reasonable Accommodation under the ADA and Rehabilitation Act: What You Need to Know (1-3 days)

How do you determine if an employee is disabled? What does qualified individual mean? What exactly is the interactive process? This course will provide answers to those questions, and then dive into some of the most perplexing reasonable accommodation challenges, including requests to telework, leave as accommodation, who chooses the accommodation, invisible disabilities, and more.

Course Topics: The Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act; Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) regulations; defining an individual with a disability; major life activities and substantial limitations; essential job functions; the interactive process; types of reasonable accommodation; telework as reasonable accommodation.

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EEO-3: Understanding Sexual Harassment and other Hostile Environment Claims (1/2 – 1 day)

The #MeToo movement has brought about a greater understanding of the impact of this reprehensible harassing behavior, as well as the importance of taking action rather than ignoring it. Join us for this half- or full-day session as we explain – in clear terms – the law on sexual harassment and other hostile environment claims in federal agencies. Learn when your agency could be considered liable, what you can and should be doing to prevent it, and what is required for corrective action to be prompt and effective.

Course Topics: The elements of a claim; unwelcome conduct that leads to hostile environment claims; severe or pervasive standard; tangible employment actions; the EEO process; mitigating agency liability; taking corrective action; disciplining the offender.

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EEO-4: Medical Exams & Inquiries under the ADA & GINA (1 day)

Did you know that the innocent release of medical information can result in an expensive decision against an agency even if no harm was done to the employee? Understanding how the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Amendments Act, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act impact the collection of medical information is important. This full-day training will explain when pre- and post-employment exams and inquiries are permitted; who should – and should not be – be collecting and managing medical information, and much more.

Course Topics: Collection of employee medical information; conditional offers of employment; medical documentation requests for reasonable accommodation; direct threat and other medical conditions; the “regarded as” provision of the ADA.

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EEO-5: Compensatory Damages & Other Remedies in EEO (1 day)

A principle rule in findings of discrimination is to place the victim in the position that person would have occupied but for the discrimination. This is easier said than done, because there’s no way to undo the harm caused by illegal employment discrimination. Even still, damages and remedies is a topic that every EEO practitioner needs to understand, whether they’re preparing for hearing or negotiating a settlement.

Course Topics: Equitable remedies: back pay, front pay, reinstatement; nonpecuniary and pecuniary damages; past and future damages; damages offsets; the duty to mitigate damages; collateral sources and pre-existing conditions; multiple causations of harm; the eggshell complainant.

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EEO-6: Writing Reports of Investigation and Final Agency Decisions (2 days)

This workshop-based program will provide you with the skills and confidence to be more effective in writing reports of investigation and final agency decisions that will withstand third-party scrutiny. Learn how to organize your report and write for your audience and use accepted reporting style and legal writing conventions to ensure your ROI or FAD is clear, effective, and legally sound.

Course Topics: Statutory jurisdiction; EEO complaint process; theories of discrimination; dismissing EEO Complaints; accepting and identifying claims; legal sufficiency; the mechanics of drafting a FAD.

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EEO-7: Conducting EEO Investigations (1-5 days)

If your agency decides not to dismiss a complaint, you will then have 180 days to do a thorough investigation of that complaint. What are you required to do? How do you ensure that you complete an effective investigation? And what does the end of the investigation look like? We can do a comprehensive deep dive into the process over four days, or we can provide focused training on topics such as interview techniques or writing the investigative report.

Course Topics: EEOC statutory authority; EEO claims and elements of EEO cases; agency defenses and liability; interview techniques and skills; types of witnesses; writing the investigative report.

Note: The 4- and 5-day classes meet the 32-hour training requirement for EEO Investigators.

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EEO-8: EEO Counselor Refresher Training (1 day)

As an EEO counselor, you are required by the EEOC to take an 8-hour annual refresher course.  Don’t take training just to check the box. Use this opportunity to refine your counseling skills and improve your EEO knowledge. In FELTG’s refresher training, experienced instructors will cover the content required by the EEOC and share with you the most critical recent case law, regulations, and other legal developments.

Course Topics:  May include theories of discrimination; relevant case law; the counseling processes; reasonable accommodation; writing effective reports; current trends in EEO law.

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EEO-9: EEO Investigator Refresher Training (1 day)

As an EEO investigator, you are required by the EEOC to take an 8-hour annual refresher course.  Don’t take training just to check the box. Use this opportunity to refine your investigatory skills and improve your EEO knowledge. In FELTG’s refresher training, experienced instructors will cover the content required by the EEOC and share with you the most critical recent case law.

Course Topics: Topics may include theories of discrimination; relevant case law; the investigation process; interviewing difficult witnesses; types of questioning; understanding evidence; writing effective reports; current trends in EEO law.

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EEO-10: EEO Counselor/Investigator Initial Training (up to 5 days)

FELTG’s five-day initial counselor and investigator training provides the mandatory 32-hour initial training for new counselors and investigators required by EEOC, and much more. Our experienced instructors will explain EEO law in easy-to-understand terms and help you develop the skills necessary to be an effective counselor or investigator.

Course Topics for Counselors:  Course Topics: Introduction to EEO Counseling; EEO Counselor approach; qualifications of a good EEO Counselor; purpose of EEO Counseling; duties of an EEO Counselor; the Counselor’s role when ADR is elected; interviewing the Counselee; Interviewing the RMO; theories of discrimination; the federal EEO complaint process; writing the EEO Counselor’s Report.

Course Topics for Investigators:  Understanding the EEO process and timelines; theories of discrimination; qualifications of a good EEO Counselor; purpose of the EEO investigation; duties of an EEO Investigator; interviewing witnesses; Interviewing the RMO; employee rights to representation; writing the Report of Investigation.